لا تًسْأَلوني أَنْ أُجَدِّدَ صورَتي

كَيْ تَشْمَتَ الأَيَّامُ مِنْ قَسَماتي!

Do not ask me to renew my image

So that fate may gloat over my allotment!

ما كُنْتُ أَحْفِلُ بِالمَظاهِرِ في الصِّبَا

أَتَكونُ في السَّبْعينَ مِنْ رَغَباتي ؟!

In my youth, I did not care for appearances -

Why would I in my seventies crave them?!

إِنْ نالَ مِنْ وَجْهي الزَّمانُ فَعاجِزٌ

عَنْ مَبْدَئِي في الحَقِّ يَوْمَ ثَباتِ

If time has marred my face, it remains helpless

Against my steadfast principles and truths

لا لَسْتُ أُومِنُ بِالوُجوهِ وَكِذْبِها

ونِفاقِ ذي الوَجْهَيْنِ في الجَلَساتِ

I do not believe in faςades and their lies

And the hypocrisy of two-faced gatherings

إِنْ شابَ شَعْرِي باكِرًا فِلَأَنَّني

عاصَرْتُ ما عاصَرْتُ مِنْ نَكَباتِ

If my hair grayed early, it is because

I lived through tribulations and disasters

يالَيْتَ لَوْنَ الشَّيْبِ كانَ مُرافِقِي

في كُلِّ يَوْمٍ أَسْوَدٍ بِحَياتي !!!

I wish the color of gray had accompanied me

Through each dark day of my life!!!

والشَّيْبُ يَمْسَحُهُ السَّوادُ بِصِبْغَةٍ

فتَعودُ تَضْحَكُ لِلشَّبابِ الْآتِي !!!

And grayness is wiped out by black dye

So youthful laughter returns!!!

ولَدَى الجِراحَةِ كُلُّ شَكْلٍ مُمْكِنٌ

فَادْفَعْ وَخُذْ ما شِئْتَ مِنْ طَلَعاتِ !

With surgery, any shape is possible

So pay up and take what you want of features!

رَضِيَتْ بِنا أُمُّ العِيالِ وَلَمْ تَزَلْ ...

فَاخْرُجْ بِرَبِّكَ مِنْ رُؤَى مِرْآتي !

The mother of children accepted us as we are...

So by your Lord, leave the visions of my mirror!

دَعْنِي أَموتُ عَلى المَبادِئِ راضِيًا

عَمَّا فَعَلْتُ لِكَيْ يَطيبَ مَماتي !

Let me die, pleased with my principles

And what I did to sweeten my death!

لِي صُورَةٌ بِالشِّعْرِ صُغْتُ حُروفَها

فَاقْرَأْ تَجِدْنِي في صَدَى كَلِماتي!

I have an image in poetry whose letters I forged -

Read, and you will find me in the echo of my words!